It is known that poor posture may lead to health complications such as back pain. Back pain however may be addressed by maintaining good posture such as a “neutral spine position” while sitting, standing, lying or moving. The neutral spine position in a healthy spine is a position in which three natural curves of the spine, cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions maintain their natural curves. The cervical region curve involves cervical vertebrae C1-C7 and is naturally anteriorly convex. The thoracic region curve involves thoracic vertebrae T1-T12 and is naturally posteriorly convex. The lumbar region curve involves lumbar vertebrae L1-L5 and is naturally anteriorly convex.
Conventional methods for providing postural feedback to a user typically require special garments or belts to secure sensors in place and may require a user to carry a separate electronic console which supplies the postural feedback. With conventional methods, it may be difficult to apply such devices in a way that is visually appealing, comfortable, convenient, and effective. Additionally, conventional postural feedback devices may comprise an electronic console which may be bulky and may detract from the convenience of the unit. Further, such devices tend to be bulky and/or inflexible which may be uncomfortable to a user. Therefore, a postural feedback device that may be applied to a user onto skin or into garments worn by a user which communicates to an existing electronic console such as a mobile phone for example, may be beneficial to a user.
The present disclosure relates to a postural feedback device that can be used for measuring joint or muscle alignment of the human or animal body, or retraining a desired bodily position. The device may comprise at least two main components: 1) a sensing unit affixed to the skin or worn in a garment over a desired joint, multiple joints, or body part that may measure changes in the distance between at least two points that may measure both linear and/or curvilinear changes in the distance between at least two points, and 2) a battery or solar powered electronic console connected to a regulator such as a potentiometer or capacitor via hardwire or remote signal, for the analysis and display of the sensing unit readings. The electronic console may be in the form of a pager, cell phone, electronic bracelet, wristwatch or other suitable electronic device that may be configured to provide feedback to the user through auditory, visual, tactile, or other sensory stimuli for the purpose of general knowledge or to encourage a given movement or postural behavior. Further, as a non-limiting example, the electronic console may be incorporated internally into the hardware of the sensing unit. The sensing unit may comprise a plurality of various sizes and/or shapes to accommodate various sized users and body parts, and be worn discreetly underneath clothing if so desired.
The present disclosure relates to a postural feedback device that may measure the linear and/or curvilinear excursion between two points, as measured by a sensing unit, to provide knowledge and training of human or animal joint, muscle, or other body part alignment. The posture measuring device may comprise at least one regulator that may be secured to the body at two non-moveable points and an electronic console in the form of a pager, a cell phone, a portable computing device, a tablet PC, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smart watch, a wearable computing device, a computing device, or other equivalent electronic device that may be connected either directly via hardwire for example, or remotely via a wireless signal, to the regulator for interpretation, display, and feedback purposes. Further, the electronic console may be able to provide feedback to a user through auditory, visual, tactile, or alternate stimuli to assist the user in general awareness or the retraining of a desired movement or position. The device may further comprise multiple or various sized sensing units to fit various applications and differently sized body parts and users, and may be worn discreetly under clothing.
In one embodiment, a regulator of the postural feedback device may comprise a centralized linear regulator with two fixated ends that may be utilized to measure postural alignment by measuring the linear and/or curvilinear change in distance between to the two fixated ends while still maintaining a thin profile such that the postural feedback device may be worn discreetly underneath clothing, or incorporated into an article of clothing. The information from the potentiometer may be transmitted to an electronic device via a hardwire connection or a wireless signal to provide feedback to the user.
In further embodiments, a postural feedback device may comprise a centralized rotary regulator which may be positioned between the two fixated ends to measure postural alignment by measuring the linear and/or curvilinear change in distance between the two fixated ends.
Additional embodiments of a postural feedback device may comprise one or more regulators configured to measure postural alignment by measuring the linear and/or curvilinear change in distance between the two fixated ends.
As a non-limiting example, embodiments of a postural feedback device may be provided within the scope of the present disclosure that comprise any type of regulator that may be configured to measure postural alignment by measuring the linear and/or curvilinear distance between the two fixated ends of the device.
As another non-limiting embodiment, a postural feedback device may comprise an electric console that may either be incorporated internally into the hardware of the regulator, or housed externally. The electric console may be configured to provide power to the regulator of the postural feedback device and may further provide visual, auditory, tactile, other alternate stimuli, or a combination thereof to assist the user with postural feedback.
In another embodiment, a postural feedback device may be compatible with various electronic devices such as mobile phones, watches, or other electronic devices that may provide feedback to the user via visual, auditory, tactile, or other alternate stimuli to assist the user with postural feedback.
In a further embodiment, the postural feedback device may comprise various sizes and materials that may be dependable, inexpensive, and effective in accomplishing the intended purposes of the postural feedback device.
This summary is provided to introduce a concept in simplified form that is further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in any part of this disclosure.